Beverage dispensing apparatus



Aug. 29, 1950 Filed Oct. 4, 1947 E. S. WEGMAN BEVERAGE DISPENSING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 3 ATTORNEY 1950 E. s. WEGMAN 2,520,380

BEVERAGE DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 4, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 33 j f H WITNESS $2 INVENTQR 825 STATE-gm ATTORN EY Patented Aug. 29,1950

STATES PATENT OFFICE BEVERAGE DISPENSING HEPARAZEUS Evert S". Wegman, Springfieid, Mass assfgnor t'o Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Fa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 4, 1947, Serial Not 173,959

2 Claims. v r

This invention relates to beverage dispensing apparatus and particularly to apparatus of the type wherein a quantity of the beverage is dispensecl into a disposable cup.

It has been found desirable in this type of apparatus to provide a cabinet in which the various components of the dispensing mechanism are enclosed. In order that the dispensing nozzle and cup station shall be at a height readily accessible to the customer, it is advisable that both the beverage" container and the cup storage and dispensing mechanism be disposed above the nozzle. Both the cup mechanism and the beverage container are filled from their tops and the height of the cabinet is usually such that thefilling spout of the beverage container and the open top of the cup storing mechanism are not readily accessible to the service man without the aid of a ladder orits equivalent.

In apparatus of this type, a cup is first dispensed beneath the nozzle after which" the beverage is discharged into the cup. The cup usually rests on aperforated. platform through which any overflow from the cup may drain. This overflow is directed by a suitable hose or pipe to a waste can disposed beneath the perforated platform. Because of space limitations within the cabinet it is important that this waste can be emptied frequently, at least as. often as the machine is serviced.

For servicing the machine it has heretofore been proposed that the service man carry a port able ladder or piatform. Such a ladder, however, only adds to the load of cups,. portable beverage containers, tools, waste receptacle and other things which the service men must carry to perform the normal servicing operation. Further, the use of such a ladder or platform offers no assurance that the drain can supplied with the beverage dispensing apparatus will be emptied at each servicing operation.

An object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a construction in which a movable servicing platform is associated with the apparatus in such a manner that the Waste can must be removed from the cabinet before the platform can be moved to its servicing or usable position.

A further object is to provide a service platform which may be readily stored within the cabinet in a, minimum space but which may be readily moved to its servicing position when the front closure member of the cabinet is opened.

These and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, torming. a. part oi.

this application. inwhichc Fig. l. is! a front perspective view ot a beverage dispensing apparatus showing the service platform in use. and. the. waste can removed;-

Fig. 2 is a similar perspective view of the lower. part. of the apparatus. of. Fig. 1,. but showing the apparatus with the platform concealed and. the waste can in its normal. position;

Fig. 3 is a. vertical section on an enlarged scale taken on. line IIl'lII of. Fig. 2 and looking from the right-hand side of thev cabinet;

Fig. 4. is a vertical. section taken on line IV'-IV' of Fig. 3'; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section showing an interlock between the cover and front door of the cabinet.

Referring. to Fig. 1,. there is shown a cabinet [0 having a hinged top cover H and a front door [2.

The component parts of a typical beverage dispensing apparatus are located within the walls of the cabinet. In the example shown, these comprise a beverage tank l3 located in the upper right-hand corner of. the cabinet and a cup dispensing mechanism f4 located in the upper left.- hand corner of the cabinet alongside the storage tank [3. A cup station I5 is in the cabinet IU beneath the beverage storage tank. This station is accessible to the customer through an opening.

l6 provided inthe door 12. This station receives a paper cup from the cup dispenser l4 througha chute [1,. after which. the beverage is dispensed into the cup from the storage tank [3 through.

a suitable nozzle (not shown).

Other parts of the beverage dispensing apparatus which are disposed within the cabinet may include a carbon dioxide cylinder [8, a Water pump [9 and a control box 26. The cup station has a perforated platform 21 and is provided with a drain pipe 22 by which spilled or waste liquid is directed to a waste can 23. This can may be provided with handles 24 so that it can be readily moved.

In Fig. 2, the waste can is shown in its normal position Within the cabinet and beneath the drain pipe 22. A pair of stops 25 serve to position the waste can in the cabinet.

The servicing operation for the apparatus includes the emptying of beverage from portable containers into the storage tank l3. This is done by the attendant pouring the beverage into the tank through a funnel 25 provided in the top of the tank. It is also necessary that servicing of the parts of the apparatus located in the storage tank be done from the top of that tank.

Also, cups are supplied to the cup dispenser [4 through th top of the dispenser.

Before any of these servicing operations may be done, the front door l2 of the cabinet is unlocked and opened and the hinged top cover I I is raised. The front edge of this cover is provided with a horizontal flange 21 which, when the cover is lowered, is adapted to be engaged by the upper portion 28 of the inner fiange of the door pan 2%. Thus, when the cover I I is properly lowered and the door 92 is closed, the cover H cannot be raised by any unauthorized person;

The height of the tops of the beverage storage tank and the cup dispenser above the floor level is such that they cannot be reached for servicing purposes by an average person standing on the'fioor. To avoid the use of a portable platform or ladder which must be carried from machine to machine by the service man, I provide a movabl platform 30 which is an integral and permanent part of each machine, but which is so arranged that when it is not needed it is movable to a position inside the cabinet where it does not in any way interfere with the parts of the beverage dispensing apparatus. Further, the platform is so disposed that the waste can 23 must be removed from the cabinet before the platform can be slid forward to its usable servicing position. V

To these ends, I provide a slidable platform which is engaged at its sides on rails 3!, which rails are, in turn, attached to the frame supporting the dispensing apparatus. The platform is located a suitable distance above the floor and is made available for use by the service man by his removal of the waste can 23 from the cabinet. After this has been done, the platform may be pulled from the cabinet to the position shown in Fig. 1, where it is accessible as a step for the servicing operation. It is important that the height of the platform and of the waste can be so correlated that the can extends up above the lower edge of the platform when the can is in its normal position (Fig. 2) or else the can must be provided with a portion or attachment which extends in front of the platform (for example, the handles of the can) when it is'so positioned. While the removal of the can gives no assurance that it will be emptied, it does serve as a reminder that it should be emptied.

In Figs. 3 and 4, the sliding platform is shown in greater detail. projects through the platform 39 at its rear or inner end. This bolt serves as a stop to limit forward movement of the platform by engaging a bracing member 33 forming part of the frame-- work of the apparatus when the platform is pulled from its normal or full line position in Fig. 3

A bolt and nut assembly 32' to its usable or dotted line position in the same figure.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the invention provides a compact readily accessible and convenient arrangement by which a servicing platform is made available with each dispensing cabinet. It also provides a platform which is readily disposable inside the cabinet when not in use; and it further provides an arrangement of the platform which ensures removal of the waste can by the service man whenever the platform must be used for servicing the apparatus.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the rt that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In a beverage dispensing apparatus, the combination of a vertical cabinet for containing components of the apparatus, a front closure member for said cabinet, a beverage container in the upper part of said cabinet, said container having an opening in its top surface through which beverage is supplied to the container by a manual operation, a movable platform disposed in said cabinet between the beverage container and the bottom of the cabinet, means within the cabinet for supporting said movable platform, said platform being normally disposed .before'the. platform can be moved to its usable position.

, 2. Structure according to claim 1 wherein the supporting means within the cabinet comprises a pair of spaced guiding rails and wherein the movable platform is slidably supported on said rails.

EVER'I S. WEGMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 487,117 Farner Nov. 29, 1892 2,441,728 Stanitz May 18, 1948 2, 71,529 La Barre May 31, 19%9 

